Sorry about the delay. Been travelling all over the country. Now, enjoy the latest chapter.
Chapter 7:
Of Plans and Plots
"If we do not hang together, we will surely hang separately." –Benjamin Franklin
Twenty-Eight Hours Ago...
"Eon! Eon! Wait!"
The latios laughed, a noise only audible to those possessing a mental link with him because of the howling wind he left in his wake. "No way!" he said back through telepathy, "You're out of shape! You need the exercise!"
A wave of indignation washed over him from his red-feathered sister. "Oh, you're getting it now!" she growled, putting on a burst of speed. Eon laughed and suddenly pulled up into a steep climb, heading higher and higher into the air. Eona struggled to keep up with him, straining her powers to the limits to climb higher, move faster, and catch her gleefully elusive brother.
"Eon!" she called as the air began to thin and her breaths became ragged, "Eon, stop! We're going to high!"
"Told you that you needed exercise!" her brother laughed, slowing to allow her to catch up.
"Eon, this is Rayquaza's territory!" she retorted.
He grinned. "And why would that stop you?" he said coyly, "You know he has a soft spot for you. And you do to, if I'm not mistaken…"
"Eon!" Eona squawked, fire racing to her cheeks, "It's not like that…"
"Liar~" Eon sang tauntingly.
"Well, I mean…" Eona muttered, "I couldn't be interested in any normal Pokémon, since we live pretty much forever…"
"Of course, of course…" he said as a grin spread across his face, "Then you wouldn't mind seeing him right now?"
"Um…" Eona ruffled her feathers nervously. "I'd rather not…we have to get home and all…"
"Well too late!" Eon declared, "Because here he comes! I can sense him from here." Eona squeaked and hid behind him, much to his amusement. "Come on! Let's go meet him!" He shot off at full speed, leaving her behind. His elation quickly turned to confusion, however. A dark storm with strange flashes of violet lightning surrounded him, outlining his serpentine shape.
"Brother…?" Eona asked questioningly as the faint echo of a roar came from inside the storm. Another flash of lightning lit up the clouds. Rayquaza was headed right for them.
"I think we should…" Eon's eyes widened as an orange blast of pure energy headed straight for him. He dove, followed by Eona, and dodged the attack. "Let's get out of here!"
"Why is he attacking?!" Eona said in a panic as another burst of brilliant orange shot over their heads.
"I don't know!" Eon snapped defensively, "Just follow me! Make for the ground!" Without warning, he was struck directly in between his wings by a potent energy blast. He went careening off-course through the sky, unable to control his flight as he tumbled toward the ground at high speeds.
"Eon!" Eona cried in alarm, straining to reach and catch him. Suddenly, the sun went dark and lightning flashed overhead. Rain began to fall around her, an odd, burning rain that left her skin feeling raw wherever it touched. A roar echoed around her, audible even over the wind whistling in her ears, and she sensed an enormous presence quickly gaining on her. Panicked, she strained her body and mind to their limits, but an enormous claw came down and slashed her across the stomach and chest. She gave a cry of pain and tried to pull away, but an equally tremendous tail slammed into her side and tossed her away. She spun out of control, free-falling through the air, until a giant, scaly coil wrapped around her body.
Yellow, malevolent eyes stared down at her as the storm raged in the surrounding air. Black scales gave him a menacing appearance, unlike the regal green she knew him for. She gulped, straining to breath against the iron grip of his coils. "Rayquaza…" she said, "Why are you doing this?"
Instead of replying, he snarled and roared in her face, the force of it ruffling her feathers. Now truly bewildered and terrified, Eona instinctively tapped into her own power. It manifested in an explosion of psychic energy that loosened the Sky Emperor's grip just enough for her to slip out. She whirled around to face him, gathering power between her claws. Portions of the cloud and rain formed into a small sphere between them, growing to a foot in diameter in under a second. She flung it straight at Rayquaza's face. The ensuing explosion hid his face, though the enraged roar told her all she needed to know. It was time to get out fast.
She rolled and dove once again, scanning the area for Eon. A blast of molten-orange energy shot by her head, scorching the feathers on her back and forcing her to take evasive action. She caught sight of her brother, falling through the air, wounded and unconscious, and turned toward him. The sound of whistling wind filled her ears, coming from behind. She increased her speed.
With the force of a freight train, Rayquaza shot by her, blowing her away with a tornado-like stream of air that his massive body generated as it forced the air to part around it. He was headed straight for Eon. Disoriented, she was unable to prepare for the clubbed end of Rayquaza's tail slamming into her head and knocking her unconscious.
The mood in the Starchaser Guild was solemn that night. Eona had been put to bed with a strong sleeping draught that Cotton had brewed up from his own sleep powder and Sitrus juice, but even the excitement over the jumpluff's return to active duty was overshadowed by the grave news Eona had shared. Master Majyk had called an emergency meeting of the entire guild in order to discuss the issue. Not even the wounded were spared.
There was scarcely any room in the main hall for everyone to sit. Majyk and Emerald stood near the fireplace at the head of the tables, Slicer and Mendigo next to them. Team Firestrike was on the left of the hall while Team Snowpaw sat on the right. Team Tremor took up the middle with Team Tails, Skipper, Medi, and Cotton filling in the gaps. Even Bolt and Keski had been summoned, though they sat at the back.
Majyk surveyed them all, meeting each of their eyes one by one. His shoulders slumped like a heavy weight was upon them and his eyes were ringed with red. Silence reigned as his subordinates, his children, looked to him expectantly. "I'm afraid I have very grave news to share," he said, launching right into it, "Our guest has informed me that Lord Rayquaza has…" He choked. "…changed."
Glances were exchanged in confusion and a low hubbub rose.
"She described him," Majyk continued, "as violent, unreasonable, primal. His scales have turned black, as has his mind. But, most tellingly, she described a dark, violet mist radiating out from him and into the sky above, turning the clouds dark and creating a burning rain. It is my theory that he has not only rampaging for no apparent reason, but become the same sort of monster as that cacturne and hariyama."
There was stunned silence. Slicer's eyes narrowed to slits. "So…" the kabutops said in a raspy voice, like two knives grating together, "Will he be attacking here do you think?"
Majyk let out a weary sigh. "I do not know…but we must prepare for the worst."
Once again there was silence, but this was not the expectant silence of before. This was a silence born out of fear. First came a whisper, then a sob, then a cry, then a shout, and then the room dissolved into tumult. Emerald stood up abruptly, eyes flashing.
"Everyone!" she snapped, "Quiet!" This did nothing to quell the rising tide of panic. Emerald's eyes glowed and she extended both arms. Suddenly, the entire guild, with the exception of Medi, was floating two inches off the ground. "I said," the gardevoir ground out through teeth clenched with anger and concentration, "QUIET!"
The room dutifully fell into stunned silence. With a sigh of relief, Emerald lowered her arms and everyone returned to the ground. "Now, I'll tell you what we are not going to do," she said, "We are not going to panic, we are not going to run away, and we are not going to start screaming." She fixed them all with a piercing glare. "Is that understood?"
"And just how are we supposed to fight Rayquaza?" Naila challenged, "Especially if he's even stronger than normal!"
"Well we can't outrun him," Mendigo muttered, "I can't at least…" Stuffy nodded in agreement, looking doubtfully down at his large stomach and thick legs.
"We could hide, we could," Cotton said. The jumpluff had an anxious expression on his face and was hopping from foot to foot. Each tiny jump propelled him much higher than expected and he hung there for a few seconds before descending.
"Hide from Rayquaza?" Bolt shook his head. "That's a bad idea. All the stories where people tried to do that ended with him demolishing everything until he found them."
"Do we even know he's looking for us?" Cia asked.
"Well, where else have these 'monster Pokémon' showed up?" Corona muttered.
"Nowhere that we know," Majyk replied, "But that does not necessarily mean they will come here. We must make preparations like it is certain he will though."
"And just what will those preparations be?" Slicer asked, eyes narrowing even more than usual.
Majyk smiled humorlessly. "We fortify the town. Prepare our defenses. And pray to Arceus that we survive."
This time, the room fell into a dark, oppressive silence. The Starchasers exchanged worried, fearful glances. Without even trying to read them, Keski could tell they were in no state to fight off a magikarp, much less the Emperor of the Skies. Secretly, he began making plans for getting out of town with Bolt if that should become necessary, hoping that neither Emerald or Majyk were reading his mind at the moment.
Bolt cleared his throat, taking a step forward. "This reminds me of a story," he said.
"Not now, Bolt…" Emerald sighed.
"You see, fifty or so years ago, there were three Pokémon, the Red Rescue Team," Bolt began, "They had a lot of adventures, but there is one that I think applies here. May I tell it?"
Master Majyk gestured for him to continue.
"Alrighty then!" Bolt said brightly, "They saved the world, you know, but that is not the story I was thinking of. It's been told that one day the third member, an absol whose name has been lost, was wandering alone in the woods near their home when he came across a family of rattatta fleeing away from the south.
"Good morning, he said, where are you from and where are you going? I would think you were running away from an earthquake or some other disaster, if my horn did not tell me otherwise. He was a very intelligent and thoughtful Pokémon, though a bit cold to those he did not like.
"We are fleeing from the great monster, Apollyon, they said, for he is great and terrible.
"Absol frowned. He had never heard of Apollyon, who later became known as Apollyon the Destroyer, but he knew this couldn't be good and decided to investigate."
Blitz growled. "Get to the point, Bolt!"
Bolt looked askance at him, not pleased with the interruption. "If you will give me a minute I will get to the point," he said, "Rude…" He cleared his throat. "Continuing right along, Absol set out to see if he could find Apollyon. Shortly, he came across a pack of mightyena and their pups, running like Yveltal himself was chasing them. When questioned, they gave the same answer. We are running from Apollyon, who has already slaughtered hundreds today! The same thing happened with the hitmonchan and even the salamance. We are running from Apollyon the Destroyer, who has said he will kill any who come across him.
"Now my point, as you wanted to know Blitz, is that at this point Absol could have turned around and fled back with the others, but he continued on. In the end, he defeated Apollyon and saved the land from him. But it was when they asked him why he did not run that he proved his nobility. If I did not try, who would? Evil will always grow, it is easy to be evil. To be good is harder and that is what I strive for.
"So then, all I want to say is that we, yes we, are the only defense of this town. If we do not stand up, who will? It is not realistic to think that we can fight Rayquaza from the sheer force of our wills. He is very powerful. But if we remember that we are not fighting him only for ourselves, but to protect the innocent, I suppose we can draw strength from that. We are this town's only hope. If we do not try, then we will all be destroyed."
"There are the police," Ryke reminded him.
"Yes, I know," Bolt replied, "But they don't stand a chance without us. Rayquaza is possibly too powerful for all of us combined. He will certainly win if only a few of us go to face him."
The room was silent for a while. "It seems you are right," Majyk said, "This town is our home and has been the home of the Starchasers ever since we were founded. It has supported us in our time of need, it would be unthinkable for us not to do the same. Are there any objections?"
"Well that first bit didn't make sense," Blitz growled, "But you're right about one thing, Bolt. We're all in the frying pan together. If we don't all work together, we'll all die. My team and I are in."
Similar opinions were voiced from all over the room. "Very well," Majyk said, "Then the next question is how to best defend the city from Rayquaza?"
"Well…he can fly, so the wall won't be any good," Sunsoarer said, "The only thing it will do, actually, is prevent us from leaving easily."
"So what, we dismantle them?" Medi said, incredulous.
"Well, I didn't mean it quite like that…" Sunsoarer muttered defensively, "All I meant to say is that they won't do us any good. We'd have to build a dome over the whole town, and that wouldn't last more than a few seconds."
"But what if we could build one strong enough?" Ryke asked.
"It's not possible to build a dome that strong in the short amount of time we have," Naila said crossly, "I should know! My parents were masons."
"How do defenders normally deal with aerial attacks?" Rafasa said, "I believe if we look into that question, we will have the beginnings of an answer."
"Normally," Keski said, "With rock or electric types. Electric types are preferable as long as you can keep a good storm going, but without a dedicated team of rain-dancers rock types are generally better because you can never run out of stones to throw at the sky. The rain dance-thunder combo is the best defense, and the rain generally makes the besiegers miserable since they have much less shelter than the defenders would have. However, I have not seen an abundance of rock-types and only a few electric types here."
"What about ice-types?" Cia suggested.
"They are generally considered a bit too fragile for reliable siege warfare due to their delicate constitutions," Keski replied. "No offense," he added as an afterthought when vaguely offended expressions crossed Team Snowpaw's faces.
"This isn't a siege though," Emerald pointed out, "It's going to be a battle. So regardless of the general opinion, Team Snowpaw will be our primary defense."
"All efforts will be concentrated on defending them," Majyk stated, "I myself will undertake that task to the best of my ability. Emerald will join me along with anyone who knows Protect. All the rest of you will be tasked with distracting him. Keeping him off balance, as it were, and diverting his attention away from Team Snowpaw. However, do not draw so much attention that he will focus all his efforts on you alone. Is that clear?" There was a chorus of affirmations. "Very good. Then, I believe the next step is to inform the police of our plans and start fortifying the guild-hall. Of all the buildings in the town, it is the most reinforced and will stand up against a few attacks if we cannot block or redirect them. The police station will be our secondary base." He paused. "Now, we will send a message to Chief Pyre telling him of our plans. Arceus willing, we will survive this."
On the opposite side of town, the quilava police chief was wheeling a tray of food and drink into the police station's own sick-bay. It wasn't used very often, since the Starchasers normally had ample facilities to accommodate the town, but to his annoyance Lt. Cascade refused to admit that she was seriously hurt and it had taken him a great deal of effort to consent to be treated at the station where she could be close to her work. By her work, she generally meant making sure he did his work, which was one of the reasons why he was annoyed with her.
He pushed the door open with the cart, rattling the metal plates and silverware a bit. Cascade was sitting upright in bed, completely observed a few old books a friend in another town had sent her. Occasionally, she would scribble something down, but mostly her eyes never left the page.
Pyre, however, was not so disciplined, and his eyes wandered. He was very professional, but, in his own words, he liked a pretty girl as much as the next male, he was just a bit more open about it. Not to say that his subordinate was particularly attractive, but she wasn't unattractive either. She was athletic with a lithe, strong body which he really didn't mind staring at while he waited for her to look up. Quite unlike the fluffy, silly girls down at the inn who he could get to hang upon his every word. He briefly allowed his mind to wander to quite unprofessional things before her voice called him abruptly back to the present.
"If you are quite finished with that, sir, there is something I've discovered that I think deserves your attention."
He straightened sharply and gave her a sheepish grin. "Brought you dinner."
She nodded in acknowledgment and set the texts aside. She made as if to rise, but winced and thought better of it. "Still burns…" she muttered under her breath.
Pyre smiled dazzlingly at her. "Then, my dear lieutenant, you will just have to sit and rest!"
She glared at him. "Please push the tray closer, sir."
"Oh, since you said please…" Pyre moved it right next to her bed so she could reach it easily. Absently, she began eating, eyes already wandering back to her books. Pyre cleared his throat. "You said you found something?"
"Yes," she replied, returning her attention to him, "One of my friends in the Capitol Library sent me a few copies of some ancient texts. The originals are, of course, not permitted to leave the library itself. Fortunately, she did not write the copy herself but had it printed instead."
"Printed?" Pyre said in astonishment, "So those machines actually work? Maybe we should get one. It would save us a lot of time making the paperwork."
"And you still wouldn't fill it out," Cascade muttered.
Pyre shrugged. "True. Anyway, continue."
"Well, the only real lead I had was 'the Island of the Rainbows', so that's what I requested," Cascade said, "What she sent back was a copy of The Legend's Dwellings by a xatu scholar from the last century. He's a widely regarded authority, though he was a bit of a hermit and lived on the Hill of the Ancients. Anyway, that is neither here nor there. The section that drew my attention was the chapter on Ho-Oh's 'roosts', as he calls them, around the world."
Pyre nodded. "So you think that 'Rainbow' is a reference to her, then?"
"Correct," Cascade confirmed, "However, this is what is interesting, the only island mentioned in the entire book is one call Mt. Faraway, the traditional home of Ho-Oh and the largest of her roosts. This theory is supported by Bolt and Keski's mention of storms normally blocking the way to the island and Bolt's necklace. The legends recorded here say that the only way to safely navigate through the storms is by using a feather from Ho-Oh herself. In other words, Bolt's necklace is one of the most sought-after items in the world."
"Then we will have to keep its nature a secret," Pyre said, "Conclusions?"
"In my opinion, sir, Bolt is a native of the island while Keski is an immigrant. The island itself is divided into three parts, one for fire, water, and electricity respectively. Bolt would fit right in, but lucarios are natives of Northmarch."
"Not necessarily. There's Ryke, after all," Pyre countered.
"Who was found sleeping on an abandoned ship that had been attacked by pirates. Sir, it is quite likely that ship came from Northmarch. Besides, the book mentions many species of Pokémon, but does not mention lucarios," Cascade explained, "Therefore I conclude that Keski is probably a native of Northmarch and arrived on Mt. Faraway through some unknown means."
"Well, this is all very interesting," Pyre said abruptly, "So where does that leave us?"
"Sir, Ho-Oh is reputed to have a very high standard of purity, both for herself and her followers. I believe the fact that Bolt has one of her feathers is a sign of her favor and the fact that he wishes to return there one day. Additionally, there are their actions on behalf of the town." Cascade took a deep breath. "It is therefore my personal opinion that their identities are confirmed and, since there is no criminal record for which we would want to hold them, we should release them as soon as possible."
"As soon as they finish with the fine," Pyre agreed, "The mayor was very clear on that. He wants every bit of that gold paid and if it is a copper less, then he will post their names in every guild hall and have them dragged back here. With additional fines of course."
Cascade rolled her eyes ever-so-slightly. "Of course."
A knock came at the door, surprising them both. "Come in," Pyre ordered, a bit sharper than was strictly necessary. The door opened to reveal a shy-seeming Emolga, who pyre immediately took an interest in.
"Um, excuse me…" she began, "I'm Roxy, Lord Sable's assistant. He wanted to look over a few of your case files, especially the ones concerning a jolteon and lucario. If…if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to pick them up now."
Pyre smiled winningly at her. "Roxy, now that's a pretty name." The emolga blushed slightly. "Tell me, isn't Lord Sable that new Director of the Press or something like that?"
"Yes, actually," Roxy replied. A dreamy look entered her eyes. "He's absolutely marvelous! A real visionary."
"Right…" Pyre said, disliking him already because of that starry-eyed look she had.
Cascade cleared her throat. "May I ask what his interest in this case is?"
"Oh, nothing special," Roxy replied, though they both sensed evasiveness in her tone, "He's, well, I'm doing most of the work, see. Anyway, we're compiling a report on the use of police funds in, er, rustic towns. Efficiency, effectiveness, that sort of thing. It's all very broad and technical. Very hard to explain. May I have the reports now?"
The pair of police officers hesitated. "Well, not right away," Pyre replied, "See, we have to finish up and file them properly before we can distribute copies to anyone, you understand."
She blinked, taken aback by his unexpected refusal. Her demeanor changed slightly. A slightly sultry smile crossed her lips and she stepped forward, swaying her hips ever so slightly. "It's really important to the report, and we don't know how much longer we can stay," she said softly, "Lord Sable would really appreciate it."
Pyre took a step back. Not that he minded this change in attitude, but it was not what he expected. But still, he put a firm smile on his face. "Ma'am, I will personally deliver it as soon as it is ready. Is that acceptable?"
Roxy looked vaguely disappointed. "Oh…isn't there a way I could…"
"I'm afraid not," Pyre cut her off, "Regulations and all. However, if you are interested in a seeing the town later, I would be glad to show you around."
A flash of fear crossed her face as she thought of intentionally walking around this dingy town just for the purpose of sight-seeing. "Uh, that won't be necessary…"
"A drink, then?" Pyre offered, still hopeful.
"I think I'd better be going…" Roxy said apologetically, backing toward the door, "Just…drop the files off when you get the chance. We're staying with the governor, so…" Suddenly the door burst open behind her and Emerald strode in, sweeping past the emolga without taking notice of her.
"Pyre," she said, "Sorry to show up so abruptly, but I'm afraid I have bad news."
Pyre cleared his throat and nodded warningly toward Roxy. The three of them turned toward her. "I'm sorry, ma'am," Pyre began politely, "But if you would please leave for now. This is boring official business, I'm afraid." He smiled at her. "We can find something more interesting to talk about later, if you wish."
For once, she actually smiled sincerely back at him. "Thank you for your offer, sir, but I'm afraid you don't really want to get to know me." With that, she left the room, shutting the door behind her and leaving three very confused Pokémon in her wake.
"Strange girl," Pyre muttered before turning to Emerald with another one of his award-winning smiles, "Anyway, this must be my lucky night! Three beautiful women all in the space of five minutes. What can I do for you, Emerald?"
Emerald cleared her throat. "Well, we have some bad news…"
Roxy shifted uncomfortably before Lord Sable. She had just finished telling him all she had seen and heard while at the police station, including both before and after her conversation with Chief Pyre. The sableye hadn't moved since she had mentioned Mt. Faraway and was staring blankly into space, lost in his own private thoughts. In Roxy's experience, whenever that happened, bad things followed for someone. Suddenly, a wide grin stretched all the way around his face and he chuckled softly.
"So…" he said, talking to himself, "They are from that island. How…interesting." He poured himself a glass of expensive wine and sipped it, though his mind was moving too quickly to pay attention to the flavor. "Well, keep working on the lucario. It shouldn't be hard to dig up information about a black-furred one, since that is unheard of. The jolteon is most likely a native, which means his family is out of our reach…"
"He actually came here to find his sister, sir," Roxy corrected.
Sable grinned. "Oh did he now? Well then! That changes things. I believe that, as a representative of the Empire, since he has done the empire such a great service in defending this town from horrible monsters, I believe it is only fair we…repay him by finding his sister first."
"Find her…and why's that sir?" Roxy asked.
"Well," Sable began, "This jolteon was clever enough to defeat my ogre, which means he must be fairly intelligent behind that idiotic personality. But as of right now, I have no influence over him. I don't like that. While that remains the case he is potentially dangerous. His sister, however, will give me the control that I want."
Roxy frowned. "And why do we want to control him?"
Sable's smile turned into a snarl. "He's made himself part of the equation. Introduced an element of unpredictability. I hate that. I had everything perfectly planned out until he and that lucario showed up. If they survive the Main Event, then we need a way to insure they will never do the same thing again."
"And so we find his sister and then what? Kidnap her?" Roxy found herself vaguely uncomfortable with the thought.
"What? The Incentives Program? No, not at first at least. Hmm…" Sable mused for a bit. "Send out the word. 'Imperial News wants female eevee or an evolution thereof for high-paying position. No previous experience required. Foreigners welcome.' Hmm, I like that."
Roxy stared dubiously at him. "You mean to employ her?! We don't even know if she is qualified!"
Sable shrugged. "It will draw her out of the woodwork, most likely. She can't have much money and the words 'high-paying' will doubtless catch her eye. If it doesn't work, we can try other things. If it does, make her a model or something. I just need her available and under my influence. She doesn't even need to know that she is being used to control her dear brother."
He paused. "Everyone in this town has to be managed. We can't have word getting out about the attacks. Even rumors are deadly at this stage. If the jolteon dies in the main event, then all this is a moot point. If he survives, then we shall have to keep very careful watch on him indeed. He's the sort of person who could easily stumble over the whole plan and ruin it." Suddenly, he grinned and rose. "An idea has just occurred to me. Come, I believe it is time to speak with the mayor about the matter."
Roxy fell in step behind him, feeling much better now. Lord Sable had a plan, as always. This newest difficulty would be easily overcome and the plan would proceed. And Roxy's place at his side was becoming more and more permanent.
She had always been attracted to power, not for its own sake but for the safety it provided. So when she had met Lord Sable, whose position as the newly appointed Director of the Media didn't seem all that important, she had been absolutely astonished when she realized exactly how much influence he had. Apparently, he had seen something in her too because he shortly had offered her a position as his secretary, which she had eagerly accepted. And she had not once regretted the decision. He knew how to wield power effectively as few people did. From his small office in the capitol, he could manage the entire empire if he wished. With a few, well worded articles in the news he could sway public opinion while secretly talking to the heads of state and convincing them of the opposite stance. Then, when tensions mounted, he would step forward as the voice of reason in the midst of it, proposing the middle ground which had been his aim all along.
If a certain lord or lady was being particularly bothersome, a carefully worded article in one of the higher-end papers that alluded to 'reliable sources' and 'inside evidence', which would never be produced of course, would conjure up the most fantastic stories about them that left them thoroughly discredited and shunned by society. But then, Sable would sidle up to them, whisper in their ear that he had found evidence that could clear them of the charges and was willing to help them win back their reputation if they would help him with a small project of his. Shortly, they would be restored to good standing and Sable would have secured himself a new pawn.
That was the sort of thing Roxy expected to see now. The mayor was a pompous fool, full of his own importance and yet deploring the town that he was in charge of. Of course, if he had been in charge of any other town, he wouldn't be able to hold the position. It was only because Seaside Crest was so backwater that his gross incompetence had been overlooked so far. In addition, the fat cat had been altogether too welcoming and subservient to Lord Sable and herself, eager to get into the good graces of two officials from the capitol.
Without bothering to announce their arrival, they waltzed right into his chambers. He leapt to his feet in surprise, a comical sight due to his great weight, and bowed. "Oh my, oh my!" he stammered, "Lord Sable, excellency! Why are you…er, to what do I owe this honor?"
Sable smiled at him, though it wasn't quite a friendly smile. It was more like the smile a predator gives to his prey. "My deepest apologies for disturbing your evening, but I'm afraid I require your assistance in some, ah, small matter that has come up. It is not a serious thing, but I would be grateful for your assistance."
The governor's eyes widened. Here was the chance he wanted! To gain the favor of some high government official and move up in the world! To finally get out of this dingy town! But he didn't want to seem to eager, so he hid his excitement to some extent. "Oh? Is that so? Well, I suppose I might be able to. What is it that you wanted?"
Lord Sable's predatory grin spread a bit wider. "I presume that you are aware of the two travelers who are currently staying with the Starchasers, correct?"
Jasper nodded. "Oh quite! There is no escaping that fact. After all, the town will talk of nothing else right now."
"Hmm, yes," Sable agreed, "Well, I need to keep them from leaving town for a while. It may require a bit of…creative license with the law. Nothing truly illegal, you understand, just right in the grey area."
Mayor Jasper nodded sagely. "And what sort of…compensation might I expect for doing this?"
"Oh, a small sum would not be out of order, I should think," Sable replied, "Say, fifty gold pieces. Discreetly given of course."
Mayor Jasper scoffed. "Does it not occur to you that fifty is a slightly low sum for this type of action?" In truth, it was much lower than he expected, but he did not want to be too rude to Lord Sable.
"I do not think so," Sable replied dismissively.
Jasper began to be exasperated. "I would ask you to reconsider," he said, "After all, I believe there would be quite a stir if this conversation reached the Emperor's ears."
Sable's grin remained, but any semblance of warmth behind it disappeared. He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'fool' under his breath. He took a step forward. "I would advise you, mayor, to retract that statement. I'm afraid you don't quite realize the game you are playing."
"You underestimate me! I know exactly how this game works," Jasper said proudly, "It is a game of favors. We feed each other's greed, as the commoners call it. And I do not feel ashamed to admit to you that my own is quite renowned in this town."
"Greed? I'm sorry, did you say greed?" Sable giggled menacingly. "Ha! Greed! Did you hear that, Roxy?! He says he is greedy!"
"I heard him, my lord," she said, staring at him in concern.
Sable lunged forward. Mayor Jasper retreated in alarm, but found himself pinned against his own window. The sableye was monstrously strong for his size, lifting him with little effort and pressing him against the glass of the second-story window with a crazed grin on his face. "You don't have true greed!" he hissed as the glass began to crack, "You don't have the gnawing hunger, the all-consuming need for more, more, more! All you have is a half-hearted interest in money because it makes comfortable and gives you a smug sense of superiority." The sableye chuckled, enjoying the sight of pure fear in the cat's eyes as the window slowly began to give way behind him. Then, with a careless toss, Sable threw the governor aside. "Do you understand me? Do you have an inkling of who it is that you are dealing with?! Do you?!"
The persian trembled, but managed to voice a protest. "Lord Sable, this is…most improper treatment I am receiving!"
Sable took a deep, satisfied breath and settled back into the calm, collected persona he was known for. "Of course, of course. My apologies. I only wished to, ah, make a point. Greed is of particular importance to me, you see. It was an impassioned outburst. Think no more of it." He smiled reassuringly at Jasper, who was not the slightest bit reassured. "So, will you do as I ask?"
"Yes, Lord Sable," the cat replied.
"And will you in any way mention this to anyone outside this room?"
"No! No, not ever!"
"Good," Sable said in satisfaction, "Then I believe we are done here. Goodnight, governor. Fifty gold pieces will be delivered to your desk in a month's time."
Jasper nodded earnestly. "Thank you, Lord Sable." As soon as the doors were closed, he sank into his bed and curled tightly around himself, making an emphatic mental note to reinforce the windows next time someone came to visit.
Sable, on the other hand, was in a very good mood. He put his arm around Roxy as they walked in a jaunty fashion, much to her delight. "That went well," he said, "I believe the good persian will do whatever we ask of him now. Without question too, which is nice. A good scare does sometimes tend to frighten people into submission." Roxy nodded in agreement and stepped a bit closer to him. "Now, anything else you've uncovered?"
"One more thing of interest," the emolga replied, "One of the investigative staff sent out a file that had some interesting stuff in it pertaining to the Starchaser Guild. It may give us direct influence over one of its members."
"Oh?" Lord Sable said, intrigued, "Do tell."
"Well, if you recall, after the near collapse of time, many members of the Cult of Darkrai fled and scattered all across the continent," Roxy said, "The file contains evidence that one of the former members is currently working for the Starchaser Guild, unbeknownst to anyone in the town."
Sable's eyes lit up with gleeful, devilish fire. "Oh, that is just perfect!" he cackled, "This will fit into my plans quite nicely. Let us arrange to, ah, talk with the Pokémon in question. The fall of the Starchaser Guild is shortly going to become a reality."
